Railway car diaphragm and buffer structure



Sept. 3, 1968 A G. DEAN RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM AND BUFFER STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1966 R m E m v 6 mm m T m R u 5 E m 9 w A BY (AJJZLLNMR-M l n a 5 u A. 9 w m 8 4" 4 ZN. 6 D L 4 /8 2 AGENT Sept. 3, 1968 A. G. DEAN RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM AND BUFFER STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 19

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INVENTCSR ALBERT G. DEAN wm 6?. ma;-

AGENT Sept. 3, 1968 AG. DEAN 3,399,632

RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM AND BUFFER STRUCTURE Filed June 24, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ALBERT G. DEAN wJaMR ww AGENT Sept. 3, 1968 A. G. DEAN RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM AND BUFFER STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 24, 1966 INVENTOR. ALBERT G. DEAN wJuM R. m1:

AGENT A. G. DEAN Sept. 3, 1968 RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM AND BUFFER STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 24, 1966 lillililt! INVENTOR. ALBERT G. DEAN Q. me-c;

AGENT United States Patent 3,399,632 RAILWAY CAR DIAPHRAGM AND BUFFER STRUCTURE Albert G. Dean, Nat-berth, Pa., assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 24, 1966, Ser. No. 560,311 6 Claims. (Cl. 105-15) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined diaphragm buffer structure for the vestibule end of a railcar which is coupled to an adjacent car. Resilient shear means support the buffer plate to the end frame of the car at floor level. Cushion means extend between the end frame and the buffer plate and extend upwardly to frame the doorway opening. The compressibility of the cushion means along with the resilient shear means is such as to provide normal coupled pressure uniformly distributed around the diaphragm. The cushion means in addition serves to damp vertical and lateral oscillations of the face plate.

This invention relates to diaphragm buffer structures for the vestibule ends of cars, and is directed in part to a new and improved diaphragm buffer structure for a railway car which is intended to be held in contact with a like structure of an adjoining car when both cars are coup-led together in working connection.

Heretofore diaphragms of conventional construction employed in rail cars have operated independently of the buffer assembly means associated therewith. The diaphragms in such constructions have consisted of folded canvas material connected at one edge to a metal face plate assembly. The plate assembly has been held yieldingly spaced from the end Wall of the car by the usual heavy transverse spring means. The central portions of the leaf springs when so used are connected to the face plate assembly and the outer ends of the springs are provided with the usual pivotal connections to the end walls of the cars. At the bottom, side stems pivoted to the buffer face plate extend through guides to springs in the underframe. A metallic walkway, i.e., foot plate, is usually hinged to the end sill to rest on the buffer face plate held down by gravity.

Previously, also, the weight of the buffer face plate assembly has been carried by the end wall of the car. The support for this weight has been through hanger rods which have been pivoted at their lower ends to the respective sides of the face plate assembly and at their upper ends by cushioned connections with brackets secured to collision posts of the car. In operation when cars employing such apparatus are separated, the springs throw out the face plates, and the buffer assemblies are correspondingly moved to their extended positions. When the cars are coupled together the face plates and buffers yield so as to maintain the opposed faces of the face plates and the buffers in contact with one another. The above construction has been found disadvantageous because of the high cost and maintenance of the springs employed and the excessive weight penalties imposed thereby. Such constructions have further proved to be disadvantageous because of the wheel noise, since the weather and dirt readily penetrate and enter the passageway formed between the adjacently coupled cars. In addition, the many sliding contacts and rotating pivots involved wear quickly to provide excessive clearance.

Accordingly, it is the principle object of this invention to provide an improved diaphragm buffer structure which avoids one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art arrangements.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved diaphragm buffer construction which is of greatly simplified design and which has weight and cost ad vantages not found in prior art devices.

This invention relates to :a combined diaphragm and buffer structure for the platform of a rail car to encircle an end doorway opening. The structure is adapted to make contact with a similar structure of an adjacent car coupled thereto. Resilient shear means support the buffer plate below to the end frame of the car. Cushion means are interposed between the buffer plate and the end frame of the car and cooperate with the shear means to keep the plate in compression. The cushion means extend upwardly along both sides of the doorway and across its top. The cushion material is arranged to constitute a diaphragm forming a ringlike structure around the four sides of the doorway and has the property enabling it to extend or contract to accommodate normal face plate movements when adjacent cars are coupled in working engagement. The compressibility of the cushion material along with the resilient shear means is such as to provide normal coupled pressure uniformly distributed around the face plate of the diaphragm and moreover assist in vertical and lateral support of the buffer face plate. The cushion means further serve to damp vertical and lateral oscillations in the buffer face plate.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is shown a fragmentary view of an end elevational View of a railway passenger car with vestibule diaphragm buffer structure embodying my invention, portions of the diaphragm face plate having been broken away to exposed the diaphragm;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the diaphragm construction adjacent each side of the doorway at the end of the car and also illustrating a portion of the buffer;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a vertical pictorial view partially in section showing a portion of the diaphragm and a portion of the buffer broken away;

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of one of the shear mounts employed in the buffer;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the lines 9 of FIG. 8 illustrating the interior of the shear mount;

FIG. 10 is a plan view partially in section illustrating the buffer portions of two adjacently coupled cars whose axes are inclined one to another;

FIG. 11 is an end elevational view of a car illustrating a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the lines 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 13-13 of FIG. 11 and FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the lines 14-14 of FIG. 11 and illustrating the hollow construction of the diaphragm;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the lines 15-15 of FIG. 11.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 of the drawing, there is shown a rail car 10 having an end wall 11 with a door opening 12. The diaphragm structure 15 completely encircle s the d9orway, and vhen coupled in working engagement with a like structure afiixed to an adjacent car provides therewith a passageway which effectively seals dirt, weather, and wheel noise below. The doorway opening is defined laterally by a pair of upright posts 16, 17 disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the car and which extend upward from the platform or floor 18 forming part of the vestibule V at the end of the car. The end wall 11 of the car includes a plate 19 which may be jogged asat 20 and which extends inwardly for securement with the laterally extending flanges 21 of the posts. An angle member 23 is received within the jogged portion of the plate and rises from the floor to support the interior surface 25 of backing plate member 24, which forms part of the diaphragm buffer structure as by screws 26.

In accordance with the invention the backing plate member 24 includes an opening 27 corresponding in size and aligned with the doorway 12. A stiffening flange 28 extends around the two sides and across the top inner margins of the opening. Plates 19, angles 23, and side margin portions of backing plate 24 thus form pockets on each side of the doorway to accommodate sliding half doors D as shown in phantom line construction for clarity.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 the lower margin 30 of the plate 24 engages the end sill 32 of the rail car, and includes openings 33 to permit V-shaped reaction members 35, 37 to project therethrough. The latter members include side wings 36, 38 which are welded along their open edges to the end sill 32, so that their apexes project outwardly therefrom. Triangular cap members 34, as seen in FIG. 7, are welded to the top edges of the reaction members 35, 37.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the outer face 40 of the backing plate member 24 has aifixed thereto by means of a suitable adhesive, a top sill cushion rubber member 42 which is recessed along its bottom edge as at 43 to accommodate the door margins. The forward portion of the sponge rubber includes a channel shaped reinforcing member 44, FIG. 3. A pair of spaced apart upright cushion members 46, 47 are disposed on each side of the doorway and are similarly adhered at their back faces with adhesive to outer face of plate 24. The upright members are maintained in spaced apart relationship by a similar reinforcing channel member 48, see FIG. 2. The top of the columnar members 46, 47 may be ccmented to the bottom horizontal faces 49 of the top resilient rubber sponge member 42, to substantially complete the encirclement of the doorway opening a pair of bottom resilient members 51, 52 are secured to portion 30 of plate 24 and to the lower horizontal surfaces of the upright members 46, 47.

Buffer plate means 55 comprising a buffer plate 56 of angular construction includes a V-shaped pivot member 59. It includes a pair of upright side wings 60 and 61 which are welded at their open edges to the vertical flange 62 of face plate 56. The buffer assembly 55 is supported to the end sill frame 32 of the car by means of a pair of rubber shear mount assemblies 63. One of the shear assemblies is affixed at one of its ends to wing 60 of V- shaped member 59 and its other end is secured to wing 36 of reaction member 35. In a corresponding manner the other shear mount of the pair is affixed at one of its ends to Wing 61 of V-shaped member 59 and its other end is afiixed to the corresponding wing 36 of reaction member 37. The V-shaped member 59 is located so that its apex lies on the longitudinal axis of the car and is thus enabled to pivot relative to such axis to accommodate normal relative angular movements between adjacently coupled cars.

With reference now to FIGS. 8 and 9 the rubber shear mount assemblies 63 are shown as including an elongated rectangular block of rubber 65 which have suitably afiixed, at their opposite ends, rectangular plates 66 and 67. The

plates .66, 67 may be, of steel and suitably bonded to the rectangular rubber core members 65. Each of the plates 66, 67 include apertures 69 to enable same to be affixed to the aforementioned wing surfaces 60, 61 and 36 respectively by means of suitable bolts 70.

As seen in FIGS." 4 and 7 the buffer plate 56 extends transversely across the width of the diaphragm post portions 46 andincludes a bottom fiange "57 and an auxiliary tongue extension 58. The latter extension underlies the bottom edges of the forementioned. V-shaped reaction members 35, 37; In the. case of .an abaxial impact the forementioned tongue portion 58 will prevent the buffer plate 57 from rising. In this manner, upon collision, the impact loads are thus carried throughthe reaction members 35, 37 and into the end sill 32 constituting part of the floor end framing of the car. Thus further damage to the car structure above the floor may be minimized. A top foot plate 75 is welded to the top edge of the buffer plate 66 and extends in a horizontal plate parallel to the platform 18 of the car. An overlying inclined tread plate 77 which may be of non-metallic material Such as brake lining includes a forward tapered edge 78 which coacts with the top surface of the forementioned plate 75. The rear end of the inclined tread plate overlays a flexible hinge member 79. The latter may be of material such as rubberized fabric and secured thereto by means of a retaining strip 80 and rivets 81' shown countersunk in the top face of the tread plate. The hinge member 79 is affixed at its opposite edge to the top surface 83 of the end sill member 32. For this purpose a spacer plate 85 is interposed between the lower surface of the hinge member 79 and an angle member 87 engages the top surface thereof. The hinge member 79 angle 87 and spacer plate 85 may all be secured as by screws 89 to the top edge of the front sill 32. It will be noted that with respect tothe term rubber applied above with respect to shear mounts 63 and flexible hinge 79 above it broadly includes natural or synthetic rubber or other materials having similar characteristics and which may also include some materials reinforced with fabric but otherwise retaining their essential elastic properties.

Still referring toFIG. 4 a wear plate 93 is aflixed to the outer face of angle face plate 56. The latter plate is preferably formed of non-metallic material such as nylon to provide a quiet friction surface when the same is coupled in working engagement with the buffer assembly of an adjacent car. In a similar manner the above-described diaphragm construction includes a U-shaped face plate 95 which is coplanar with the friction plate 93 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 7 the face plate 95 may be suitably adhered to channel reinforcing members 48 along the sides of the doorway and to the channel member 44 across the top of the doorway.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the buffer plate 56 is resiliently mounted to the V- shaped reaction members 35 and 37 by means of the shear mounts 63. The latter shear mounts are capable of exerting sufllcient forces to enable tight coupling engagement with a mating face plate. The resilient shear mounts 63 moreover are capable of carrying the buffer face plate and passage plate 75 in cantilever supporting relationship. Thus, all of the passenger load during normal trafiic between adjacent cars is supported by the resilient mounting assemblies. The latter assemblies in addition permit vertical and lateral movement as a result of differences in elevation between adjacently coupled cars and due to such cars travelling around curves of varying radiuses. During such lateral movement the buffer face plates be.- tween adjacent cars slide relative to one another, as well as the diaphragm face-plates, and due to the non-metallic nature of the material employed the noise produced by friction therebetween is minimized. The aforementioned sponge rubber means 42, 46, 47, 51 and 52 which may be formed with bellowslike cutout portions as at 76 also contributes to provide ample coupled pressure between adjacently coupled diaphragms. The lower cushion segments 51 and 52 further cooperate with the rubber shear mounts 63 to aid in the coupling pressure between the buffer plates 55.

With reference now to FIG. 2 it is noted that the inner extremities of the cushion members 51, 52 are contoured in a manner to accommodate the reaction members 35 and 37 and engage the wing surfaces 36 and 60 of oppositely disposed V-shaped members 35, 37 and 59. To supplement the sealing capabilities of the latter sponge members 51, 52 an additional resilient cushion member 97 is positioned between the post inner surfaces 36 of reaction members 35, 37 respectively and between the apex of the V- shaped member 59. This latter cushioning member serves to aid in sealing oif undesirable wheel noises produced below and may be relied upon, if desired, to provide additional increments of coupling pressure for the buffer face plate 55.

Since the resilient shear mounts 63 provide a floating rather than a rigid connection between the car body and bolster plate 56, this arrangement permits the buffer face plate to pivot laterally with respect to the vehicle to facilitate the negotiation of curves in the trace. Also it will be readily apparent that as the speeds of newly designed rail vehicles carrying passengers are brought up to limits approaching 160 miles per hour as contemplated in present day high speed trains, the buffer plates tend to oscillate laterally and it is therefore essential that means be provided to damp these lateral oscillations to prevent transmission of lateral forces to the rail car body. If these lateral oscillations are not isolated from the car body, the resulting lateral motions of the car will result in fatigue and discomfort in the passengers. Since cushion members 51, 52 are in direct contact with the buffer plate 56 and abut the vertically disposed cushion members 46, 47 above, it follows that the same effectively damp or otherwise reduce lateral and vertical vibrations produced in the buffer plate as a result of motion of the rail car. It will be noted that the front face of the buffer plate 55 and its surface coating layer 66 are apertured as at 98 to assembly of the shear mount assemblies 63 to the V-shaped support 59.

From the above description it is noted that the metal parts 57, 58, 75 FIG. 4 of the buffer face plate overlap in the coupled position, appropriate projections 35, 37, 39 from the car end sill. These prevent excessive transverse displacement of the face plate relative to the end of the car in case of deterioration of the elastomers 65 in the suspension. In the fully compressed position complete interlocking of the buffer face plate and the end sill serve as a ledge over the coupler serving as an anticlimbing device.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 to 15 inclusive, a modified form of the invention is illustrated in which the end wall 11 of the car is shown to include a pair of plates 103 extending laterally inwardly for connection with the upright posts 16 and 17. These plates are jogged at their outboard ends as at 104 to receive outer plates 105 for connection with flange portions 106. Plates 105 includes a channel-like frame portions 107 which are positioned on opposite sides of the doorway 12. A like plate 109 extends across the top of the doorway as at 109 as seen in FIG. 13. Channel members 107, 109 are joined as by welding along the line indicated as at 110 in FIG. 11. The channel portions 107, 109 project forwardly of the end sill 32 of the floor framing beneath the car. A hollow cylindrical resilient tube 111 having an interior metallic mounting strip 113 and a corresponding exterior mounting strip 115 adjacent the outer periphery of the tube 111, serve in conjunction with a plurality of clamping bolts 117 to secure the tube 111 to the upper transverse channel frame member 109. In a similar manner a pair of vertically disposed hollow resilient cylindrical members 119 and 121 are likewise affixed to the oppositely disposed vertical side frame members 107. For this purpose the upright hollow cylindrical members include an inner reinforcing mounting strip 123 aligned therewith and secured as by clamping bolts 125 to the channel members 107 and 108 respectively. The upper portions of hollow resilient members 119 and 121 are suitably joined along lines 127 to form contiguous hollow cylinders which intersect the top horizontally disposed cylinder 111 at right angles.

The buffer plate 55 is similar in construction and corresponds to that set out in FIGS. 2 and 7 respectively. In lieu however, of the bottom cushion 'members 51 and 52 respectively as shown in FIG. 1, the modified form of the invention includes cushion members 129 and 130 respectively. Both members are mounted on a rectangular back-up plate 131 which may be apertured as at 132 to accommodate the V-shaped reaction members 35, 37 afiixed to end sill 32. Resilient cushion member 129 is contoured as at 134 along its bottom portion to mate as shown in FIG. 12 with wing surfaces of V-shaped reaction member 35. Cushion member 130 is similarly cut out as at 135 to accommodate reaction member 37. As seen in FIG. 11 the outer end portion 136 of cushion 129 extends upwardly and is received within the bottom open tubular portion of hollow cylindrical member 119. Correspondingly cushion member 130 likewise includes a right angle bend at its outer end and includes an upwardly extending portion as at 137. The latter is likewise received within the bottom open end portion of hollow cylindrical member 121.

As seen now in FIGS. 12 and 14, the hollow tube members 119, 121 and the top hollow tubular resilient member 111 are normally round or circular in cross section when the car on which they are mounted is in an uncoupled state. However, when a pair of diaphragm buffer assemblies are in working engagement the hollow tubular members are slightly flattened and assume the oval form shown in FIG. 12. The diaphragm so formed is capable of providing the desired measure of compressibility to produce a normally coupled pressure uniformly distributed about the exterior surface contacting area between adjacently coupled diaphragms. Thus, in this form of the invention it is observed that due to the selection of diaphragm material no face plate corresponding to face plate 95 in FIG. 1 is required. I

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and additional modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and it is therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A diaphragm and buffer structure for the platform of a car having an end sill and an end wall with a doorway opening therein, and adapted for coupling engagement with an adjacent car, the combination comprising buffer plate means disposed beneath the doorway opening, resilient shear means supporting said buffer plate means to said end sill, cushion means interposed between said end sill and said buffer plate means, said cushion means extending upwardly from said butter plate means and disposed on both sides and including a further extension over said doorway opening to constitute diaphragm means, said cushion means being afiixed to said end wall and coacting with said bufier plate means, said cushion means and said resilient shear means undergoing compression when said car is coupled in working engagement with said adjacent car to provide normal coupling pressure over said diaphragm and said buffer plate means, said cushion means further serving to damp vertical and lateral oscillations in said buffer plate means.

2. A diaphragm and buffer structure, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said end sill and said buffer plate means include a plurality of spaced complementary V- shaped support means having opposed upright faces, one of said plurality of support means afiixed to said sill and another thereof secured to said buifer plate means, said resilient shear means including opposite end portions secured to opposed upright faces of said support means.

3. A diaphragm and buffer structure, in accordance with claim 2, wherein said one of said V-shaped support means is affixed to said sill with its apex located substantially on the longitudinal axis of said car and whereby said buffer plate means is enabled to rotate about a vertical axis normal to said longitudinal axis of said car.

4. A diaphragm and buffer structure, in accordance with claim 1, wherein said resilient cushion means interposed between said end sill and said buffer plate means coact with opposed faces of said V-shaped means to coop erate with said shear means in compression and to con-' stitue a barrier against weather, noise and dirt emanating from beneath said bulfer'plate means.

5. A diaphragm and butter structure for the platform of a car having an end sill'and an end Wall with a doorway opening therein, and adapted for coupling engagement with an adjacent car, the combination comprising butler plate means disposed beneath the doorway opening, resilient shear means supporting said buffer plate means to said end sill, cushion means interposed between said end sill and said bulfer plate means, said cushion means including portions extending upwardly from said buifer plate, hollow tube means connected to said upwardly extending cushion polrtions, said hollow tube means extending upwardly along both sides of and over the top of said doorway, said cushion means being affixed to said end wall and coacting with said buifer plate means, said cushion means, said hollow tube means and said resilient shear means undergoing compression when said car is coupled in working engagement with said adjacent car to provide normal coupling pressure over said diaphragm and said buifer plate means, said'cushion means further serving to damp vertical and lateral oscillation in said buffer plate means.

6. Adiaphragm and buffer structure in accordance with claim 5, wherein said hollow tube means are connected to said end wall by mounting strips and bolts.

References Cited "UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,427 7/1891 Griffin 105-15 497,145 5/1893 Thompson 105-15 506,421 10/1893 Dickerson 105l5 1,943,370 1/1934 Cornet 213- 9 2,095,003 10/1937 Miller 105--8 X 2,128,221 8/1938 Dean 213-222 X 2,578,140 12/1951 Krupp et a1. 105-15 j FOREIGN PATENTS 709,709 .5/1931 France.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner. 

